THE STATE FAIR.

The legislature of our State has not been unmindful of the importance of fostering the agricultural interests of our State. This is evidenced by the fact that the first duty of this Bureau is to collect, systematize and present in its biennial report to the legislature, statistical tables relating to agriculture. The importance of this industry has been recognized by nearly all of the states for years past, and upon this subject we quote the following interesting excerpt from Washington's message to Congress in 1796:

"It will not be doubted that with reference either to individual or national welfare, agriculture is of primary importance. In proportion as nations advance in population and other circumstances of maturity, this truth becomes more and more an object of public patronage. Institutions for supporting it grow up, supported from the public purse, and to what object can it be dedicated with greater success than the establishment of boards composed of proper characters, charged with collecting and diffusing information, and enabled by premiums and small pecuniary aids to encourage and assist a spirit of discovery and improvement. This species of establishments contributes doubly to the increase of improvements, by stimulating to enterprise and experiments, and by drawing to a common center the results everywhere of individual skill and observation, and speeding them thence over the whole nation. Experience accordingly shows that they are cheap instruments of immense national benefits."

Agricultural fairs have always been considered, in nearly all of the states, as a valuable adjunct to the progress of this industry, and they are commended as a worthy means to desired ends.

Appreciating the value of exhibitions of this kind, the legislature of the State several years ago made the necessary appropriations for the purchasing of permanent grounds, and State fairs have been regularly held since that time at North Yakima. These exhibitions have been well patronized, and we believe have been productive of great and lasting benefit to the agricultural interests of our State.

DAIRYING IN WASHINGTON.

The dairy industry is confined more or less closely to a belt extending across the northern part of the United States, and includes the southern tier of provinces in Canada. The northern limit is fixed by the difficulty of growing forage for cattle and the expense of stabling cattle during long winters. The southern limit, which is not so definite as the northern, is fixed by the difficulty of handling milk in warm climates. In recent years the southern limit has been considerably extended, and as improved dairying methods are introduced, it may be still further extended. On the Pacific coast, because of the influence of the Japan current in modifying extreme cold in northern climates and extreme heat in the south, the dairy belt expands until it extends from southern California almost to Alaska. The State of Washington is centrally located in the dairying region of the Pacific coast, and no part of the American continent is better adapted to this industry, by virtue of climate and crops, than is this State. The industry has several advantages for farmers. In the first place, when a farm is run as a dairy farm the fertility of the land can be kept up indefinitely, and by intelligent management it can. even be increased. Another advantage which the dairy industry offers, is that it brings in a fair income at short and frequent intervals. It also gives the farmer and his family opportunity to employ themselves at something profitable every day in the year. Another advantage is found in the fact that when prices are low those who are not well adapted to dairying soon drop out and leave the field to those who are well equipped and who follow the business intelligently. Hence, a long period of depression in the prices of dairy products is practically an impossibility.

In the last few years dairy prices on the coast have been such as to make the business distinctly profitable. In fact, there seems to be little danger of over-production now, since the development of our Alaskan markets and the beginning of considerable commerce with Oriental countries. There is therefore room

for extensive development of the dairy industry in the State of Washington.

During the past four years there has never been a day when the local supply of dairy products was sufficient to meet the demands of our markets. This has resulted in the importation of large quantities of butter and cheese from the East, and when this condition exists, the prices of dairy products on the coast will necessarily be eastern prices plus transportation charges. There is every reason to believe that this condition will continue indefinitely, so that we may expect good prices in the future.

The State of Washington is divided into three very distinct agricultural sections, each producing its own peculiar crops, and each adapted to the dairy industry in its own peculiar manner. That portion of the State which lies west of the Cascade mountains, and which is known as the West Side, is characterized by a rainfall of from forty to sixty inches. Most of the land is heavily timbered. There are some 300,000 acres of land in cultivation in this district. The principal crops are fruits of various kinds, oats, timothy and clover; also garden vegetables. As many of the large mills which grind the grain produced in the inland empire are situated in the coast cities, mill products are plentiful, and relatively cheap. Feed for dairy cows is therefore not expensive. In recent years pease, and oats grown for hay, have been growing in popularity in Western Washington, and offer many important advantages. In the first place, they yield large quantities of forage-four or five tons of hay per acre on good land. In the second place, the hay is ready to cut in the middle of the dry period in the summer, which insures the ability to make first-class hay. When this hay is grown and properly cured, the amount of grain required for feeding cows is greatly reduced.

Creameries are plentiful on the West Side, and there is a good market for all dairy products.

The other two sections of the State lie east of the Cascade mountains. In the central part of the State there is a large area which has a rainfall of less than ten inches per year. Fortunately this section is traversed by several large rivers, the most important being the Columbia, the Yakima and the lower part of the Palouse and Walla Walla rivers. In this section there are 150,000 acres of irrigated land, with considerably more capa